The official history book Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Chen Shou of the Western Jin Dynasty and supplemented by Pei Songzhi of the Southern Song Dynasty in search of Zhou, and the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which is considered to be the work of the 14th-century novelist Luo Guanzhong, must be clearly distinguished.
Because the writing period is different (the one written by Chen Shou of the Western Jin Dynasty is from 190 to 280, that is, it records from the 2nd year of Emperor Xian of Han to the 27th year of Emperor Wu of the Later Han Dynasty), and the background of Luo Guanzhong’s novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms covers 184 to 280 (Emperor Ying of the Later Han Dynasty to Emperor Wu of the Western Jin Dynasty).
Records of the Three Kingdoms has the most records of Wei, the least of Shu Han and Eastern Wu, and the records of the founding fathers such as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are recorded as very brief. In addition, the author of the official historical Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chen Shou of the Western Jin Dynasty, was born quite late in the Three Kingdoms period, so even for important figures such as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, the years of birth and death or places of birth are often not properly recorded. It is said that most of the Sima clan and his subordinates, including Sima Yi, who once worked in Wei, are often included in the “Book of Jin” and not in this book.
In particular, the episode of the Peach Garden Oath in Shu Han is commonly known as an invention of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms written by Luo Guanzhong, but it originally appeared in an episode of the “Peace of the Three Kingdoms” written before the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and it is said that Luo Guanzhong slightly adapted some of its lines and inserted them into the novel. In other words, the Peach Garden Oath is not directly recorded in the official history Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but records that Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei actually lived like brothers can be found throughout the official history.
Since the official Romance of the Three Kingdoms belongs to the historical records, there were obvious errors discovered during the writing process, and there are also inconsistencies and historical errors in Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Historians who study the Romance of the Three Kingdoms say that it is not a good idea to read the contents of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms without knowledge of the historical background and Chinese history.
Also, since the background of the Three Kingdoms begins with Emperor Xian, the 14th emperor of the Later Han Dynasty, Cao Cao was one of the lords serving Emperor Xian of the Later Han Dynasty until November 25, 220, when Cao Pi founded the Wei Dynasty. In the East, the territory governing the lord was called a “vassal state” and the lord there was called a “vassal king.”
